Lamp base



0. s. Gus-rm July 7, 1931-.

LAMP BASE Filed Oct. 551, 1927' 2 SheetsSheet 1 'INVENTOR 116. Gus TIN ATTORNEY D. s. GUSTIN 1,813,572

July 7; 1931.

LAMP BASE Filed Oct. 31. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AWW m N .O .1 W8 .A D

l Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DANIEL S. GUSTIN, OF BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE LAMP COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA LAMP BASE Applicatlonflled October 31, 1927. Serial No. 229,825.

This invention relates to electrical devices such as incandescent electric lamps and more particularly to an improved base portion therefor.

In the manufacture of certain electrical devices such as incandescent electric lamps 1t is the practice to provide the lamp with a base in the form of a threaded shell or cap havin one end open to receive an end of a glass ulb. Bases of this type have heretofore been secured to the bulb by means of a cement which is usually deposited in the base after which the bulb and base are disposed in proper relation at which time the cement is subjected to a baking or heat treating op--' eration to set the cement, causing the base and bulb to become firmly secured together. This form of construction has been extensively used in lamp practice but involves a time consumin and relatively expensive operation of applying the cement to the base and in performlng the heat treatlng operation.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an incandescent lamp having the base attached thereto in a firm and practical manner without the aid of the usual cementitious material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a base which may be mechanically secured to a lamp bulb in a simple and effective manner. A

A further object of the invention is to provide a base for incandescent electric lamps or the like comprising one or more elements so constructed and arranged as to be quickly assembled and readily attached to a lamp bulb.

Various structures in connection with mechanically applying a base to a bulb have heretofore been proposed. Such structures have, however, involved a treatment of the glass bulb and such modification of the base as to not only make the structure impractical from a manufacturing standpoint, but to change the structural features of the base itself which obviously require a change in the sockets to receive the bases which are used universally and of standard form.

The present invention aims to provide a base which may be mechanically secured to a lamp bulb and at the same time maintain the standardized form of the base to make the same practical and meet existing conditions.

It will be understood that one of the most important features in connection with an improvement to a standard or conventionalized article such as an incandescent electric lamp or the like is to attain the improvement without departure from the accepted and prevalent structure of the device.

In carrying out the present invention, a base of the well known screw type variety is employed. In connection with the base, a split or otherwise resilient collar is provided having its central or internal perimeter of non-circular form. The base portion or neck of the bulb is formed so as to have a transverse cross-sectional area thereof with a perimeter substantially the same dimensions as the perimeter within the collar. The collar is applied to the neck of the bulb and is held from rotation by reason of its engagement with the shaped portion thereof. The base is then inserted over the collar which, by

reason of its; resilient character, is pressed snugly against the neck of the bulb. The collar and bulb may then be secured by soldering or brazing, the soldering or brazing operation also serving to secure one of the lead wires of the bulb to the base. The other lead wire may be secured to the lower central contact in the usual manner.

This construction provides a base of a minimum number of parts which may be easily and efi'ectively applied to a bulb at such rate of speed so as to make this form of base practical in connection with the other high speed operations attending the making of incandescent lamps or the like.

The invention will be more fully under Fig. 3 shows the usual screw type base for use in connection with the collar shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a bulb and base, the outer shell of the base being broken away to more clearly show the collar applied to the neck of the bulb;

Fig. 5 shows a base comprising a shell and a collar partially in vertical cross-section illustrating a method of soldering a leadingin wire upon the inside of the shell of the base;

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the base and collar shown in Fig. 5 and includes a cross-sectional view of the neck of the bulb;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional View of a bulb neck showing a modified form of securing a base to the neck;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the modification shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a bulb neck showing a retainer-ring or member of an elastic or moldable material; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the apparatus which may be employed for forming the bulb neck to the required noncircular shape.

Although the present invention may be used in connection with various types of electrical devices, it is shown and described herein as ap lied to an incandescent electric lamp comprising a bulb 10 containing a mount 11 comprised of a flare tube 12 sealed at 13 to the bulb in the usual manner. The mount may include an arbor 14 having a filament 15 mounted thereon. The bulb shown being of the so-called tipless type, the mount is provided with an exhaust tube 16.

Normally, this type of bulb is provided with a neck of substantially cylindrical or circular form. In accordance with the present invention, however, the neck is deformed to provide depressions or notches 17 These depressions may be of any suitable shape but in the present construction, consist of depressions having their bottom surfaces 18 substantially straight and disposed in angular relation. It has been found preferable to form three depressions so that the neck of the bulb taken in transverse cross-section through the bottoms of the depressions is of triangular configuration. This formation of the neck of the bulb leaves an annulus or edge 19 at the lower end of the bulb neck.

A bulb having the above mentioned depressions formed therein may be attached to the usual type of shell or base 20 by a ring or collar 21. This collar is preferably stamped from a sheet of metal having its outside perimeter 22 of circular form and its insideperimeter 23 of triangular form to conform with the bottoms 18 of the several depressions in the neck of the bulb. Inasmuch as the shell 20 and the ring 21 constitute a complete base, the shell 20 may be termed a base member. Y

In order to.add strength to the edges of the triangular perimeter of the ring, portions 24 of the sheet metal may be folded over and inwardly toward the cylindrical portion of the ring. This construction strengthens the edges of the ring and gives a strong and rigid member.

The ring 21 may be open or split at 25 so that it acts as a resilient member and ma be slipped over the edge 19 of the bulb neck so that the edges of the inside perimeter 23 are positioned in the depressions 17. When the resilient member is positioned on the bulb neck, a base 20 may be positioned to surround the said member and hold the same by reason of its resilient character in firm relation to the bulb neck. If desirable, the ring 21 may be divided or made in two or more sections which may be held to secure the bulb neck when enclosed by the shell 01' base member 20.

The bulb 10 is provided with a shoulder 26 against which the upper edge 27 of the base 20 may engage so that when the base is in position it completely surrounds the ring 21 and practically covers the same by reason of the close relation between the edge 27 of the base and the shoulder of the bulb, thus providing a base mechanically secured to a bulb which has the same symmetrical and neat appearance as found in a base cemented ,to the bulb.

In some respects, the present construction offers a more uniform product, since the edge of the base may be in closer relation to the bulb than is possible with cement and because the slight overflow of cement which occasionally occurred is eliminated.

As illustrated, the base employed is the same as commonly used in connection with standard lamps. and includes a bottom or central contact 28 insulated from the shell by a glass insulator 29 in the usual manner. It will be evident that the resilient retainer member 21 is firmly held in engagement with the neck of the bulb and by reason of means in the form of the triangle in the periphery of the ring and means in the form of depressions in the base, the ring will be held from either rotary or vertical relative movement.

The base 20 may be secured to the ring by any suitable manner as, for example, the outer surface 22 of the ring may be tinned or covered with a thin layer of a fusible material and heat may be applied to secure the retainer ring to the base, thus firmly locking the base to the bulb. It has been found, however, that the operation of securing the base to the retainer ring may be accomplished when soldering lead-in wire 30 to the base.

It is the practice in the manufacture of incandescent lamps to secure one of the leadin wires to a c lindrical wall of the base by bending an end of the wire over the edge of the base and then soldering it. In the present invention, the base is provided with a notch 31 and the lead wire is led outwardl through the notch and soldered on by a eposit of fusible material 32 as shown in Fig. 4. As will be noted, when fusing the leading-in wire, the solder will flow throu h the notch on to the retainer ring there y uniting the ring to the base and in this manner, the base is secured from removal from the bulb. The remaining leading-in wire 33 may be fused to the contact 28 in the usual manner.

It will be obvious that although the retainer member 21 is provided with an aperture of triangular form that such aperture may be of an suitable configuration and the neck of the ulb shaped accordingly. On the other hand, it will be understood that instead of makin the retainer member of sheet metal material, the same may be made in the form of a solid ring 33 as shown in Fig. 8 with an outside diameter 34' to be engaged by the inner wall of the base and with an inside aperture 35 of such shape as to normally conform generally with any given shape of the neck. A ring of this type may be made of fibre or moulded from a soft or yielding heat insulating material as, for example, a condensate product or it may be of soft lead so that when the ring is engaged by the base, the inner aperture thereof will tend to fully conform to and snugly grasp the neck 36 of the bulb should the same have irregularities.

Satisfactory results have, however, been obtained by making the retainer member 21 of a split ring of sheet metal and of such dimensions that when in place upon a bulb neck and engaged by the base, the base serves to compress the ring and hold the edges of its inner aperture in contact with the bulb neck.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a construction whereby the leading-in wire 30 may be soldered or otherwise attached to the base 20 on the inside thereof, thus avoiding any visible solder on the outside of the base. In accomplishing the above, the leading-in wire 30 may be positioned between the retainer ring 21 and the base, an aperture 34 being provided in the retainer ring and a small amount of fusible material 35 which may be in the form of a clip may be disposed in the aperture and about an end of the leading-in wire 30. When the base is in position upon a bulb, heat ma be applied by flame or an iron to the outside of the base, causing the material 35 to fuse and secure the base to the retainer member and at the same time electrically connect the leading-in wire to the base.

Fig. 5 also shows a means for obtaining a more snug relation between the retainer member 21 and the bulb which means may comprise a strip 36 of elastic material as, for example, asbestos so that when the retainer member is ressed against the neck of the bulb, the strip 36 will serve as a resilient body and prevent slight relative movement.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a modified form of retainer member comprising a wire which may be disposed in the depressions 17 of the neck of the bulb and united by twisting the ends of the wire together at 38. Thebase and wire may be soldered together at the twisted portion of the wire and the leading-in wire 30 may also be included in this soldering operation. It will be evident that the wire which acts as the retainer member will hold the bulb in position by reason of the disposition of the wire in the depressions in the neck of the bulb.

The depressions 17 may be formed in the bulb either prior to the sealing of the bulb to the mount or the may be made after the mount has been sea ed in to the bulb. The latter method has been found preferable and r as illustrated in Fig. 9, means are shown for providing the depressions with bottoms 18 of substantially straight form. Mechanism for forming the depressions may comprise a holder 39 to support the bulb 10 and a support 40 to receive the exhaust tube of a mount may be provided to hold the mount 11 in position within the bulb. When so sup ported, the mount and bulb may be united by sealing at 13 in the usual manner and fires 41 may be directed to the neck of the bulb until the same becomes plastic. A pair of jaws 42 and 43 may then be moved together to enclose the neck of the bulb. The

jaw 42 is provided with a substantially V-shaped notch 44, while the notch 43 may be substantially straight. The jaw 42' is mounted on a lever 45 pivoted at 46 while the jaw 42 is mounted on a lever 47 pivoted at 48. The pivots 46 and 48 may project from a bearing block 49 fastened to a post 50 constituting part of the holder 39. Each of the levers 45 and 47 are provided with a pin 51 having a link 52 pivotally connected therewith. The said link is pivotally attached at 53 to a cross-head 54 slidab-le vertically on the post 50. A forked end 55 of a lever arm 56 may be provided to engage the cross-head so that when the lever is rocked about pivot 57, the cross-head will be lifted and the aws closed.

The mechanism above described for forming the depressions in the neck of the bulb gives one practical example of this operation, although it is obvious that various means may be employed and that the operation may be made automatically and included with the usual steps of sealing-in and exhausting as attend the manufacture of an incandescent lamp or the like.

By reason of the present invention, it is possible to provide a lamp which avoids the time consuming and relatively costly operation of securing a base to a bulb by a cement.

Furthermore, the present construction is of such character as to make it possible to quickly and convenientl apply a base so that the resultant operations may be performed at a high rate of speed commensurate with other lamp making operations.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described herein, it is to be understood that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical device comprising a bulb havin a neck provided with substantiall straig t grooves, a resilient collar surround ing said neck, said collar having a circular outside perimeter and straight edges on its inside perimeter, and a base-member engaged with said collar to hold the collar engaged with said neck.

2. An incandescent electric lam comprising a bulb having a neck portion 0 polygonal configuration in transverse cross section to provide a plurality of substantially plane surfaces, a base surrounding said neck portion and a collar having internally pro ecting edges to engage said plane surfaces and an exterior flange to engage with said base.

3. An incandescent electric lamfp comprising a bulb having a neck portion 0 polygonal configuration in transverse cross section to provide a plurality of substantially plane surfaces, a resilient collar having inwardly projecting edges for engagement with said plane surfaces, a substantially cylindrical flange on said collar for engagement with a base for retaining said edges engaged with said plane surfaces.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subson 1927.

DANIEL S. GUSTIN.

bed my name this 28th day of October, 

